CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – A Duke track and field sweep in the women’s 400 meters and redshirt junior Curtis Beach breaking a 57 year old school record in the men’s 200 meter dash served as highlights at the Joe Hilton Invitational in Chapel Hill, N.C. Saturday, April 13. In their final meet before the ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the Blue Devils swept the shot put and discus competitions and earned eight first place finishes in the action-packed one day invitational.

Sophomore Elizabeth Kerpon, a Coppell, Texas native led the Blue Devil sweep in the women’s 400m by crossing the line first with a time of 54.40. Sophomore Lauren Hannson finished second in the event with a personal-best time of 55.75 and sophomore Alexis Roper sealed the 1-2-3 finish by placing third in 57.17.

In the men’s 200m, Beach, who was running the event for the first time in his collegiate career, finished second, clocking a time of 21.30 to break Dave Sime’s record time of 21.34 set in 1956. After today’s performance, Beach has earned his way onto ten different top-five performance lists.

Sophomore Baily Murphy led the field in the women’s 200m crossing the line in 25.00 and earning the fifth spot on Duke’s all-time list. Roper, Goranson and junior Miray Seward also competed in the event finishing third, fifth and seventh respectively.

In the women’s 100m hurdles, junior Hannah Goranson finished first with a time of 14.14. The Los Altos, Calif., native owned the top time in the preliminary heats with a time of 14.11, giving her the top seed heading into the finals. Redshirt freshman Karli Johonnot finished third in the event clocking 15.29 in the prelims and 15.32 in the finals.

Sophomore Abby Farley was the top finisher in the women’s 800m running a time of 2:09.62 to give the Blue Devils its fourth first place finisher on the track.

In the shot put, sophomore Stephen Boals set another personal record by breaking the 17 meter barrier with a throw measuring 55-10.25 (17.02) on his sixth and final attempt, giving him the victory. The Loomis, Calif., native threw well throughout the competition with his lowest mark of the day outdistancing the second place finisher’s best throw. Redshirt sophomore Kyler Shumway also set a new personal record with a top throw of 50-6.25 (15.40) to finish third overall.

Redshirt junior Michelle Anumba claimed the top spot in the women’s shot put with her best throw measuring 54-5.50 (16.60). She was the only competitor to break the 16 meter mark on the day.

In the discus, senior Austin Gamble claimed first place with his best throw measuring 172-08 (52.63). Boals finished in sixth place with a mark of 157-3 (447.94). Junior Erica Brand topped the women’s field with her first and best throw flying 158-2 (48.22).

Junior pole vaulter Justin Amezquita cleared the highest bar in the men’s pole vault at 16-10.75 (5.15) to finish first overall while sophomore Robert Rohner participated in his first pole vault competition of the outdoor season, finishing third with a personal-best clearance of 13-1.5 (4.00).

In the women’s pole vault, freshman Megan Clark set a new personal record by clearing 13-3.5 (4.05) in third and final attempt at the height to finish second overall. Junior Emily Mattoon cleared 12-9.50 (3.90) to put her in third place respectively.

The Blue Devils will compete in the 2013 ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championships April 18-20. The event will be hosted by NC State in Raleigh, N.C. More information will be available on www.GoDuke.com.